Which batteries should I buy?

colyboy

colyboy

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Lithium batteries are. just a little to costly to buy so =

Which would you say was the BEST leisure batteries to buy. 100/ 110 + ah

Colyboy
 
Feltwell said:
Good piece here, that swayed me yesterday to buy the Yuasa's that Gellyneck mentions:-

http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/battery-technology.php

Tayna Batteries was the cheapest source I could find. Enter code FACEBOOK45 at the checkout, got me an extra £5.50 off. Not a lot but it all helps!
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Alpha matched the best price I had and they were good to deal with. Next day delivery as well (though not guaranteed at the price).
That was the same article I used to finalise my decision. Plumped for the Varta as it's "fully sealed" not needing water added.
 
At a seminar at Peterborough, several 'experts' discussed this problem. Some were biased on one make or another as they profited from battery sales but the gist of the discussion focused on the weight (yes, weight) of the battery. The heavier, the better. Varta and Banner seemed to both be favoured makes.

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EXIDE Gel would get my vote, might be a bit more money than the others but I work on the “you get what you pay for” principal.

And yes they are heavy.

Martin
 
I seem to remember John of johnandshel used say that about the Trojan deep cycle batteries, and you could run them down lower with out doing damage. Must be on here somewhere.
 
I have two T1275 Trojan batteries giving 2 X 150 Amp/hrs. I have had then for 10 years and they are still going strong. I did a controlled discharge on them last year and they are still as good as new. Very heavy, 39kg each, but worth every penny. Designed to be discharged down to 30% state of charge.
They do need to be looked after as they are standard flooded batteries which need topping up with water but this means that they can be charged at a much higher rate than sealed batteries. 14.8V bulk charge as opposed to 14.4V for most sealed type batteries.
All of the Trojans are the same quality. If you want around 200 Amp/hrs then fit 2 X T105 6V 225 Amp/hr in series to give 12V 225 Amp/hr.
Most people talk about how many sets of batteries they have had on their van. My batteries are on their second van(y)

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If I was going for lead technology, I'd strongly consider Victron Supercycle AGM batteries. They can withstand occasional 100% DoD and regular 60% DoD, which in my experience will happen!
 
Had a sailingboat for many yesrs.
Within the boating community Trojan were know as the best deep cycle battery to have.
 
trojans are verygood but they come in odd sizes check you have the room and they do need to be monitored for fluid levels monthly at the most so acces is important i wouldnt have them under a seat but i doubt if they would fit
 
Ivory55 said:
I seem to remember John of johnandshel used say that about the Trojan deep cycle batteries, and you could run them down lower with out doing damage. Must be on here somewhere.
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Yes, it was Jon who advised re the Trojan traction batteries. jonandshel are no longer subscribers to FUN.

Bartyfixedit said:
If you want around 200 Amp/hrs then fit 2 X T105 6V 225 Amp/hr in series to give 12V 225 Amp/hr.
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Which is the route I went down, with the help of Jon mentioned above. We are coming up to 5 x years with them now, and after carrying out regular checks on fluid levels, I found that topping up 2-3 times a year is adequate. Our Trojans get regular fast charging from the Sterling B2B unit, hence my regular checks on fluid levels.

@colyboy. Good luck choosing the battery type to suit your needs. (y)

Cheers,

Jock. :)

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When recently replaced mine was looking at 100/110 but in the end went with varta lfd90.
From feedback seems to perform better than most higher capacity batteries.
 
Still confused!

Colyboy

Ps may try “Which” and see what they say
 
Hope that was a joke, they wouldn't have a clue how to test a leisure battery.

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colyboy said:
Still confused!

Colyboy

Ps may try “Which” and see what they say
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For what it's worth, I have looked at lots of Lead Acid leisure batteries recently and come to my own conclusion. Some members on here are buying on recommendations only as performance data on some of these newer batteries is not available. i.e. the Vatra LFD-90 comes highly recommended, yet there own website states it is for low to moderate use only. The new Yuasa is reported as having some impressive test result in an independent lab but little feedback coming from members who have purchased them and using them in real world conditions. It really is a minefield out there with so many manufacturers making false claims about battery performance. At the end of the day, choice should be based on usage, if your going to be on hook up all the time a cheap starter battery will do the job. The more you tend to 'wild' the better performance you will need from your battery. I decided to stick with Lead Acid as I know where I am with this technology and it suits the configuration of my charging system on my motorhome. As a FLT I tend to spend the bulk of my time off hook up and my batteries get a pasting. This time around I have chosed the Exide ET 650 Lead Acid battery. I know Exide make there own batteries and this is a very good starting point and this standard size battery weighs a massive 27 KG which indicates to me there is a big chunk of lead inside it. It is also stated as providing 300 cylcles @ 50% D.O.D. which is very impressive for a Lead Acid battery. Time will tell and I will report back to members over time, just how well they perform (or not) and under what conditions. Best of luck with your choice, be wary of the sales pitch as there is a lot of crap out there but not one manufacturer stating his batteries under perform.
 
colyboy said:
Still confused!

Colyboy

Ps may try “Which” and see what they say
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I’m not surprised that you’re confused. We are surrounded by misleading marketing and mixed experience. I don’t think you “get what you pay for” here. I’ve killed 10’s of batteries in my time, both up and down market ones, and have come to the conclusion that it’s the way you treat them that matters most. Keep them charged and avoid deep (or even heavy) discharges. For a while, I resigned myself to replacing them every year before finding a regime that kept them for longer. I was surprised that, sometimes, the cheaper ones seemed to fare just as well as others had (but, maybe, they had simply endured less).

Make sure that what you get will fit the space you have. It’s convenient if the terminals are also positioned in the same way. If you want to keep them longer, and are sure you won’t mis-treat them in the meantime, I’d get Gels. But you could change the van within the life-span of any them!

There is no “Best”, certainly without parameters you can measure. Everyone will have different needs, so a different ideal solution. If there was a “Best” there wouldn’t be so much debate about them.

I wouldn't waste my time with "Which?". Unless you want to become really confused.
 
I had 6 (yes SIX) batteries on my last R-V. All "Cheap" Lead acid, We ran a 3KW inverter off them, and regularly used the Microwave off it, as well as a 32" Mains T-V. With 300W of solar on the roof. I could hang out on Non EHU sites for at least as long as my Black tank!. (about 5 to 6 days). Mind we also had the safety net of the Genny, and a 40amp "Smart" charger.
 
PeteH said:
I had 6 (yes SIX) batteries on my last R-V. All "Cheap" Lead acid, We ran a 3KW inverter off them, and regularly used the Microwave off it, as well as a 32" Mains T-V. With 300W of solar on the roof. I could hang out on Non EHU sites for at least as long as my Black tank!. (about 5 to 6 days). Mind we also had the safety net of the Genny, and a 40amp "Smart" charger.
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It’s a proper thread now you have mentioned the generator. Haha
 
I have good longevity from Tayna's own Enduroline.

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